Circular knitting machines equipped with wrap thread mechanism



CIRCULAR KNITTINC MACHINES EQUIPPED WITH WRAP THREAD MECHANISM Filed Jan. 22, 195s A. P. SAUNDE RS Sept. 12, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 /NVENTOR ALFRED PERCY SAUNDERS w D? ,47' Q Sept. 12, 1961 A. P. SAUNDERS 2,999,375

-CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES EQUIPPED WITH WRAP THREAD MECHANISM Filed Jaxl. 22, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 //V VEN TOI? ALFRED PERCY SAUNDERS ATTO/aver Sept. 12, 1961 A. P. SAUNDERS 2,999,375

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES RQUIPRED WITH wRAr THREAD MECRANISM Filed Jan. 22, 1958 5 sheets-sheet s //V VEN TOE ALFRED PERCY SAUNDERS ATTO/eA/Ey Sept. l2, 1961 A. P. sAUNDERs 2,999,375

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES EQUIPPED WITH WRAP THREAD MECHANISM Filed Jan. 22, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 //V VENTO/Q ALFRED PERCY SAUNDERS A TTOR/VEY SePf- 12, 1961 A. P. sAuNDERs 2,999,375

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES EQUIPPE WITH WRAP THREADMECHANISM Filed Jan. 22, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 /NVE/VTO@ ALFRED PERCY SAUNDERS A 7' TOR/VEY States wir',

2999 37s` Y 'i i crneULAn KNrrrnio irAcniN-ns nourri-n.1 wrrn WRAP remain) MEonANrsM Alfred Percy Saunders, Leicester, Englansh. assigiuory to.r Wildt Mellor Bromley Limited, Leicester, England, a

This invention relates to circular knitting machines of the superimposed needle cylinder type furnished with a verticalembroidery head, by.- which is meant a wrap striping mechanism comprising individually movable wrap instruments for wrapping or lapping wale'or embroidery threads drawn from bobbins, pirns, spools or like individual supplies, around predetermined needles, such threads being additional to the main yarn orv yarns ordinarily supplied, and means for producing relative movement between the needles and the wrap instruments for the purposes of producing wrap striping and a variety of other different design effects such, for example, as vertical or diagonal stripes, clocks, broken zig-zag effects, individual geometrical and other ornamental motifs and the like by embroidery plating on one face of knitted fabric.

The invention has reference particularly to superimposed needle cylinder knitting machines furnished with double-ended latch needles transferable from one cylinder to the other, and vice versa, and equipped with wrap striping mechanism of the now well known kind wherein wrap instruments of a circular series consist of bladelike elements each provided with a lower thread guiding extremity, which instruments are arranged so as to extend in an axial direction or substantially so with respect to the needle cylinders and are adapted for movement radially for the purpose of carrying their Wale threads across the needle circle, from the inside to the outside and vLatem?.

vice versa, by virtue of which movement and conjoint relative lateral movementl between the thread guiding extremities and the adjacent hooked ends ofthe needles which are to receive the threads, the latter are wrapped or lapped around desired needles. For convenience in the-following further description such a mechanism will hereinafter be referred to as a wrap striping mechanism of the kind herein referred to.

In a wrap striping mechanism of this kind, ya typical example of which is disclosed in the specication of prior Patent No. 2,065,469, each of the wrap instruments'is provided with a thread guiding extremity atleast a'por'tion of which extends at ari-angle, for example atV right angles, from the main portion of the blade, and the said instruments are mounted in a longitudinally tricked cylindrical bed, located concentrically with the top cylinder of the machine, for individual movement` radially conjointly with the aforementioned relative lateral deflection between the instruments and the corresponding needles for wrapping purposes. Usually, although there is no limitation in this respect, the wrap instruments are adapted to be deected laterally in relationto and as the result of engagement with corresponding needles. To this end each wrap instrument may have its lower thread guiding extremity laterally offset, e.g. bent, cranked or twisted, so as to enable it to co-operate with an adjacent needle suchwise that deflection of the instrument is effected simply .as the result of the co-action of the laterallyoiset extremity with the adjacent Yneedle during radial movement of-the instrument. The formation of each wrap 'instrument in this case is such that when projected radially 'outwards at its-thread guiding lower end it holds its Wale/thread in a favour-able position for engagement by a needle, ,and upony retirement this end yields laterally when passingfthe said needle, resuming its normal position when fully retracted Patented Sept. l2, i961 rice radially inwards so that the thread is passed around the front of the needle below the hook thereof whereupon the needle canform the said thread into an embroidery stitch appearing'on the face of the fabric. Lateral deflection of the lower extremities of the wrap instruments, in a wrap striping mechanismV of the kind herein referred to, may alternatively be effected as the result of relative movement between the instrument and corresponding separate deecting elements:

In awrapv striping mechanism of' the kind herein referred to, moreover, the wrap instrumentsr of the circularseriesaremounted for pivotal or rocking movement in theirl cylindrical bed, and are adapted to supply their wale threadsl each to a single needle or each to two or more needles, vif desired. The wrap instruments have their lower extremities (in which Wale thread guiding holes are formed) norm-ally located within the lcircle of needles to which the threads are supplied, and these extremities are swung lhrst outwards and then inwards upon selection of the instruments to wrap.

it is primarily the intention to app-ly the invention to circular superimposed needle cylinder hose or half hose machines.

The primaryk object of the present invention is to provide, in a wrap striping mechanism of the kind herein referred to, improvements whereby the wrap instruments are subject, throughout all their movements, to complete and positive control.

A further object of the invention is to provide for such wrap instruments a simple and efficient control system which is adjustable to compensate for needle hooks of different sizes, i.e. differences in needle gauge.

Another object is to provide a wrap instrument control system designed to 4enable instruments which are not required to wrap needles to remain quiescent, the aim being, by prevention of radial movements of non-selected wrap instruments, to substantially reduce the. possibility of needle breakage.

A` still further object of the invention is to provide, in a cam system for positively controlling the wrap instruments, improved means for automatically drawing or measuring off the Wale threads and thereby enabling needles to take sufficient slack thread to permit of the production of clear and bold plated stitches.

Another object is to provide, for use in a superimposed needle cylinder machine equipped with wrap striping mechanism ofthe kind herein referred to, a generally improved form of wrap instrument, as will be hereinafter described. I v

Yet another object of the invention is to provide simple and eiiicient means for neutralizing selections of the wrap instruments as and where required. ln this regard, for example, and in connection with aseamless hose or half hose machine, it may be desired to make an all around selection of the wrap instruments for ornamenting a leg and then, without in any way disturbing the pattern set out, to neutralise, i.e. render inoperative, selected instruments in substantially one half of the series s o that half round patterning proceeds in the instep only 'during knitting of the foot of the article being produced. Similarly, of a succession of wrap instruments selected to execute wrapping motions, groups of such instruments may be neutralised during the production of, say: small embroidery plated areas.

A further aim is to provide in a machine of the type concerned two diiferent system for the selective wrapping of needles the adoption of which systems, in combination, safely increases the embroidery patterning scope of the machine as will be-hereinafter described.

In accordance with the essential feature of this invention, which enables the aforementioned aims and objects l 'to be achieved, the wrap instruments in a wrap striping mechanismof the kind herein referred to embodied in a circular knitting machine of the superimposed needle cylinder type, are normally disposed at a first and inoperative height at which they are quiescent and maintained inoperative .with their thread guiding extremities withdrawn, and are adapted to be displaced lengthwise to a second and voperative, height at which actuating `butts thereon are disposed in the range of a control cam system whereby movements of such displaced instruments are completely and positively controlled during the wrapping of wale threads around desired needles.

In one arrangement, the wrap instruments are adapted to be individually selected and displaced lengthwise from the first, i.e. inoperative height to the second, i.e. '.QPErative, height so that the thread guiding extremities of selected instruments only will be moved radially to and fro across the needle circle whilst the remaining non-selected instruments are quiescent with their thread guiding extremities withdrawn, and-means are provided for moving to a common wrap -level all the needles of a group or succession of needles requiring to bey selectively wrapped so that desired ones of such needles can receive wale threads from the selected vwrap instruments. i

In an alternative arrangement there are provided means for moving all of the wrap instruments of at least one group of succession en bloc from therst, i.e. inoperative, height to the second, i.e. operative, height so that the thread guiding extremities of all the instruments of the said group or succession will be moved to and fro radially across the needle circle, and means for moving to a wrap level only selected needles of a corresponding group or succession whereby only these selected needles will receive wale threads from wrap instruments, the nonselected needles of the said group or succession remaining at another level clear ofthe instruments. v

As will lbe hereinafter described in more detail it isV within the scope of the invention to provide at respectively ditferent wrapping stations .the two systems of selection defined in the last preceding two paragraphs.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily `carried into practical effect, a specific example thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of so much of a circular hose or half hose knitting machine as is necessary to illustrate the application of the present invention thereto.

FIGURE 2 is a detail vertical sectional view showing one of the -wrap instruments in its inoperativeposition, that is to say at the first or inoperative height at which the lower thread guiding extremity of the instrument is withdrawn within the needle circle, i i

FIGURE 3 is another view similar to FIGURE 2 but depicting the wrap instrument moved up to the second and operative height at which its actuating butt is in the range of the control cam system, the instrument being shown with its thread guiding extremity projected to the outside of the needle (circle,

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 are three fragmentary views of the upper portion of a wrap instrument shown firstly at the said inoperative height prior to selection, then secondly at the operative height after selection but prior to being rocked by the control cam system for wrapping, and thirdly rocked to project its thread guiding extremity outwardly,

FIGURE 7 is a sectional plan view taken on the line VII-VII of FIGURE 1 illustrating the control cam system for the wrap instruments. Y

FIGURES 8 and 9 are further sectional plan views taken on the lines VIII- VIII and IX-IX of FIGURE 1 respectively, showing apertures or gaps formed in rotary parts co-axial withv and located above the top cylinder component, these apertures or gaps facilitating the withdrawal of wrap instruments upwardly from the machine as occasion demands, and

FIGURE 10 represents in diagrammatic fashion a developed lay-out of the complete cam systems.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

Referring to FIGURE 1 it will be seen that the twofeed circular hose. or half hose knitting machine therein illustrated includes' a rotary bottom or plain needle cylinder 1, airotary co-axial top or rib needle cylinder 2, double-ended latch needles such as 3 for operation in these cylinders, and ybottom and top sliders 4 and 5 in the cylinders 1 and 2 respectively foractuating the needles andl transferring the same from one cylinder to the other,

Vvand vice versa, according to knitting requirements.

The machine is furnished .with a vertical embroidery head comprising a circular series of individually movable wrap instruments 6 mounted in a longitudinally tricked cylindrical bed 7:located concentrically within the top needle cylinder Z.V

As shown more clearly in FIGURES 2 and 3, cach of the wrap instruments 6 in this particular example consists of a blade having a lower thread guiding extremity 8 comprising an outwardly extending portion 8a at right angles to the said blade and a downwardly extending laterally bent portion 8b formed with holes 9 for the guidance of a Wale thread, an actuating butt 10 of inverted L-form at the upper extremity of the blade, said actuating butt comprising a vertical portion 10a and va rearwardly directed horizontal lip 10b, a rounded fulcrum formation 11 intermediate the thread guiding extremity 8 and the actuating butt 10, and a lower butt 12 projecting from` the front edge of the blade at a location immediately above the fulcrum `formation 1i.

To enable the wrap instruments 6 to be selected and longitudinally displaced upwardly from a first and inoperative height I-I (see FIGURE 2) at which they are quiescent and inoperative with their thread guiding extremities rS withdrawn, to a second and operative height H' (see FIGURES 1 and 3) at which the actuating butts 10 arefdis'placed in the range of a control cam system C whereby the instruments are positively controlled during Vneedle wrapping, the'. said instruments may conveniently be contrastingly formed, e.g. differentiated, from each other by reason of the formation, number or disposition of selecting butts thereon. Thus, in the specific example illustrated, each of the wrap instruments 6 has projecting from the front edge of the blade, at a point or points lbetween the fulcrum portion 11 and the actuating butt 10, a triangular selecting butt or butts 13 of saw-tooth form.

The rotary bottom cylinder 1 is surrounded in the usual way by a stationary bottom cam box 14 which carries the cams of the plain cam systems `for operating the bottom needle-actuating sliders 4 at the main and auxiliary yfeeds F and F. respectively. The rotary top cylinder 2 is vsimilarly surrounded by a stationary top cambox 15 housing the cams of the rib cam systemsl at the said two feeds. Thus, as -shownin FIGURE 10, the `forward and reverse plain stitch cams at the main or front feed F -areindicated at 16 and 17 respectively, whilst the rib stitch cam at this same feed is indicated at 18. The opposed plain and rib stitch cams at the auxiliary or side feed F' are shown at 19 and 20 respectively. The latch guards at the two feeds are indicated at 21 and 22 (see FIGURES 3, 7 and 10). In lieu of a top cylinder verge, the machine is equipped with a circular series of top sinkers 23 which are controlled by a sinker cam system 24 supported by the inner portion of the top cam box 15.

A needle Wrapping station W immediately precedes the knitting station at the main feed F, whilst a second wrapping station W similarly precedes the knitting station at the auxiliary feed F.

For action upon the contrastingly formed wrap instruments 6 selectively at a selecting station S, immediately. in advance of the wrapping station W, for the purpose of Y. raising selected instruments from the inoperative heightH;

geoogst-atothe operative height H as-aforesaid, thereisprovided a bank of selectors 25- (FIGURES-l and 10) adapted to be rendered operative ande-inoperative under the control of any suitable pattern unit, such, for'instance and as shown, as an intermittently rotatable patternl drum 26 iitted with pre-arranged pins 2,7.` Alternatively, the pattern unit may take the form otra-chain; or ajacquard band or equivalent. The'selectors 25may be actuated either directly by or indirectly from' the pattern unit.

As previously mentioned, intheillustrated` arrangement the front, i.e. outer, edges, of the gwrap instruments 8 are formed with triangular selecting-butts 13 of sa tooth form disposed at different levels according to patterning requirements, andithe operative endsY of the selectors 25. of the bank are provided with inclined surfaces 25a for action on 'the said butts su'chwise as to etfect the required lengthwise displacement of theselected instruments. In practice, each ofthe wrap instruments 6 would Vbe initially formed with a full complement of frangible selecting butts 13,l andrcertain butts1 of each of the instruments would be broken 'away,.according to requirements. t

The wrap instruments pivotor rockv about their fulcrum formations 11 when beingmoved radially back and forth across the needle circle, andI it is for this reason that the selecting butts 13 are formed on the upper portions of the blades extending between the fulcrum formations ll and the actuating butts 10.' Incidentally, it is convenient here tomention that in the case. of a knitting machine equipped with two (as shown) or more feeds, a needle-wrapping station preceded by a bank ofv wrap instrument selectors and anassociated pattern unit may, if desired, be-providedin conjunctioneither witheach such feed or with each ofgat least someof them, `as the case may be and according to embroidery patterning requirements. i

The second height H .to which. Wrap instruments are selectively moved.` lengthwise` is, ,in the illustrated example, disposed abovethe, rstheight H in which instance theaction of selectors 25.011v theselecting butts' i3 serves to lift the Iwrap instruments 6 and, thereby raise their actuating butts 10from. an-inactive. or lowerlevel h to a higher level lz' at whichrtheyare -disposed in the range of the wrap instrument controlcam system C (see FIGURES 2-6).

The iirst, height H at which the` wrap instruments 6 are normally quiescent is determined; and maintained at required timed-bythe engagementrof, the lower butts l2 with the top surface of a. horizontal levelling cam 28.- This levelling cam-28, preferably of ring'form and extending right around thernachine,` is, as illustrated. in FIGURE 1, supported by. an` upstanding portionv 29a of the conventional top. plate Z9 which-serves, inter alia, tocarry the top cam box 15.- The 7levellingcamv 2S is clearly depicted'in developed form in 'FIGURE- l0.-

NowI the wrap instruments 6in-the arrangement so Ear described are individuallyselected at S and moved lengthwise from the iirst-height'I-I to thers'econd height- H in advance of the wrappingv station. W- so that the thread guiding extremities 8 lofselectedinstruments only will be moved radially to and fro-:across-theneedle circle, whilst the remaining non-selected instruments are quies- :ent with their thread guiding extremities vn'thdr-awn. I'hus, inconjunction with this system of selection- (for convenience referred-,toas system'A), it is necessary-for all the needles 3 of a groupyorsuccessionI of needles, requiring to berselectively Wrapped to bel-moved toa common wrap level -L (FIGUR-E l) -at which thev relevant needles can receive wale'threads-from the selected'wrap instruments. Conveniently lfor this purpose-acam 3b located in the bottom-cam system at the wrapping station W-acts on the butts31 .of` the bottom.sliders4toposition the corresponding needles at'.the.wrap .level-Lwhich is..

lust. below the normal running heightof .needles in the bottom cylinder 1.

But to achieve the--sameresult fit1 is l:also-:within-thescope of the present--invention-'to move--all-of-.thefwrap-,r instruments 6 of at least-one groupfora- -successionfof' such instruments, en bloc from the first lheight-I-Ii-to the second heightH" so that the-thread guiding extremities :8

lof all ofthese instruments will-be moved 'to andjfroI-radi ally lacross the needlecircle, in=which` instance`l onlyselected needles ofja corresponding' group or succession will be moved, eg. raised, tothe wrap level, the-non` selected needles of the said group or succession remaining,rv Thus, whilst-v at another level clear o-f'fthe instruments. in this alternative-system of selection (referred toV assystem B), all `ofthe wrap Ainstrumen-ts of the group- -or groups-or the succession-concerned will have wrappingj movements imparted thereto only those of the instruments'- adjoining needles selectivelymovedto the wrapj'level' will infact, function-to wraps- NoW-whilst, inthe specific example illustrated, the system ,ofiselectionlA-isadoptedL at the -selectingstation Slin tadvance 'of the wrapping-j station W associated with-the main feed,` F, the alternative system of selection-Bis -used -at--aselectingfstation` S in advance of the second wrapping-"station'Wf asso-y ciated with the auxiliary feed F. As will be K4seenin FIGURE l0, all the wrap instruments 6 of the group-orfv `succession concerned are, at the selecting station S', ad#- vanced from the first and inoperative height'H to-the" second and operativev height H by a raising cam 32 of thebolt type adapted'for-action onthe lower butts-.12# of the instruments. As-Will bez-appreciated, this-raising,S cam 32 replaces a bank of individually movable selectors* such-as those indicated-at-.ZS` at the selecting stations.'

The needle selecting mechanism providedA at the station S for raising only selected-needles to the wrap level L may conveniently comprise selectively operable vneedle-- raising jacks such as 33 (FIGURE l) or 33 (FIGURE 10) arranged below and for action on the bottom sliders 4, and a bank of selectors 34 (FIGURE l) or 34' (FIG- URE 10)- for. action respectively on butts 35 or 3S onsaid jacks, the said selectors being adapted to be rendered 'a operative and inoperative under the control of afpattern 3 unit such as the drum indicated at 36 in FIGURE 1 and" omitted from FIGURE l0. These two alternative 2forms of needle selecting mechanism illustrated in FIGURES v1 and 10 are both quite well known and do not require; to

be described-in any further detail.

A feature of the invention accordingly, resides inv the adoption of the two systems of selection A and Bin conj in conjunction with the wrapping station W preceding the auxiliary feed F', it is nevertheless to be clearlynnderstood that systems A and B may be variously employed at a plurality of stations in relation to one or more feeds:l

The advantages-of adopting both systems of selection? A and rB inl one and the same machine are economy in,l

space and an increase in the patterningscope of 'thema-r chine. Thus, Whilst for carrying into practice the systemv A at a wrapping station the necessary bank of wrap instrument selectors and the associated patterning drumI are located fairly high up on the machine, i.e. immediately above the top plate thereof, a needle selecting mechanism suitable for use when carrying out the system Bat an' other wrapping station can be provided at a much lower,l

level, e.g. on the conventional bottom plate of the machine (seethe plate 37 in FIGURE l). This possibility of providing` patterning units -at different levels accord` i ingly makes for greater ilexibility in machine design; 'and' permits the units to be suitably grouped about the knitting-- head of the machine in a mannerv conducive to maximumvr economy of space.

It is to be clearly understoodthat whilst', merely for:

convenience in illustration in FIGURE` 1, the two pattern 7 drums 26 and 36 are shown one above'the 'other on-approximately the same axis, in practice these two drums wouldbe separated circumferentially.

In FIGURE l0, the cam' indicated at 33 is providedfor action upon the upper butts 39 of the jacks 33 forV the purpose of depressing the latter to their normal inoperative-level ready for reselection.

At any appropriate point beyond the or each needle wrapping station wrap instruments raised to the second height H and whose actuating butts have passed through the wrap instrument control cam system C at that station mayautomatically be restored to 'the rst and inoperative heigh H for re-selection in advance either of the same,

or Aof the next, wrapping stationas the-case may be.; Thus, inthe illustrated example there is provided beyond AH may, if desired, be of the bolt type and be Withdrawable toan inoperative position as occasion demands.

' For maintaining the thread guiding extremities 8 of thev wrap instruments 6 withdrawn on the inside of the needle circle whenever these instruments are quiescent at the first/and inoperative height H, there may be provided-at,

aV level below the or each wrap instrument control cam systerrrC, a circumferentially extending retaining cam 41 (see `FIGURES 4 and 10) arranged to press on the backs of the actuating butts 10 of thev said instruments. l

The wrap instrument control cani system C at the or each needle wrapping station comprises opposed inner and outer cams or/ and suitably profiled cam partsl such as 42 and 43 arranged in a common horizontal plane with a spacel 44 between them, this space constituting, as shown more clearly in FIGURE 7, a cam track of a width suticient to accommodate the upright portions 10a of the actuating butts 1d.

.In the specific illustrated arrangement, the said opposed inner -and outer control cams and cam parts at each of the wrapping stations W and W' are in a horizontalrplane spaced immediately above a gap 45 (see FIGURE l) in the circumferentially extending retaining cam 41 provided for maintaining the thread guiding extremities 8 withdrawn as aforesaid.

i A leading portion 42a of the inner cam part 42 of the wrap instrument control cam system C at each wrapping stationris bevelled or similarly formed to avoid the rearwardly. directed horizontal lips b of selectively raised, wrap instruments 6 and the latter are liftedby selectors to land theselips on to the top of the outer marginal edge portion of the said inner cam part 42. Engagement of the underside of the rearwardly directed lips .itlb with the top surface of the inner cam part 42 therefore determines the second or operative height H to which selected instruments are raised (see FIGURE Opposing an inwardlyoshaped edge portion 42h of the profiled inner c am part `at each wrapping station is a separate radially adjustable cam 43 (FIGURE 7) of `inwardly directed pointed form which, byaction on the fronts of the upright portions 10a of the actuating butts 10, presses the upper ends of the wrap instruments 6 radially inwards and accordingly rocks the instruments suchwiseas to project their thread guiding lower extremities S outwardly across and to the outside ot' the needle circle. When projected outwardly in this Way the wrap instrument extremities 3 enter an aperture 44 in they relevant latch guard 21 or 22. The apex 43a of the pointed cam 43 corresponds to the wrapping position, and the cam is radially adjustable tovary within precise limits the extent of Vthe outward swing of the thread guiding extremities 8of selected instruments. By appropriate adjustment of the cam 443, it is possible to compensatefor needle hooks of dilerent sizes, i.e. having diterent dimensions from front to back. l

Immediately adjoining the inwardly, shaped portion 42b of the inner cam part 42, the latter is formed with an outwardly curved or inclined edge 427C which, by action on the backs of the upright portion 10a of the actuating butts 10, presses the upper ends of the instruments outwards again and so withdraws the thread guiding extremities 8 radially inwards from the outside to the inside of the needle circle. As will be appreciated, the outward and inward radial movements of the thread guiding extremities 8 are, therefore, measured and completely and positively controlled by the cam system C.

The wrap instrument control cam system C at the or each appropriate wrapping station, preceding a feed may, in accordance with .a further feature of the invention, incorporate an approximately shaped Wale thread draw-oil cam (not shown)V which is adapted, by suitable yaction on the actuating butts 10, to vary the distance between the thread guiding extremities 8 of selected wrap instruments and associated needles 3 which have been wrapped'with walethrea'ds as these needles are retracted to knocking-over position by a 4stitch cam at the feed. The purpose of these further movements of the wrap instruments, subsequent to a wrapping operation, and during knitting of the relevant walethreads together with ground yarn on 'the wrapped needles, is to enable measured lengths of such wale threads to be fed to the needles. ln this way Wale threads are drawn and measured oft from their supplies, e.g. bobbins or the like and permitted., to run slack in the region of the knitting location thereby enabling appropriate needles to draw upon the threads so measured ott and slackened in the formation of embroidery stitches. The slackened Wale threads result in the production of clear and bold embroidery pattern or ornamental effects in so far as burying of the Wale thread stitches beneath the ground loops is prevented. The provision of a simple draw-olf cam Within a cam control system as just described is a great improvement upon eccentrically mounted wale thread draw-olf means such as `thosephitherto provided above the embroidery head of a superimposed needle cylinder machine. Sueh a draw-oli cam, unlike Veccentrically mounted draw-ofi means mounted above the head, does not in any way interfere with the general accessibility of the upper parts of the machine.

Preferably, the or leach Wale-thread draw-ott cam, when provided, is adjustable suchwise -as to enable the extent of the slackening of the threads yto be precisely varied Within reasonably tine limits.

The cam part 42 and the opposed cam 43 forming the wrap instrument control cam system C at the or each wrapping station andl also the circumferentially extending retaining cam 41 are provided upon carrier brackets or supports such as 49- attached tothe underside of a centrally bossed portion 45a of an upper plate 45 which, in the improved machine is provided well above the conventional top plate 2,9 to support gearing employed forA driving the cylindrical instrument bed. The Wale thread bobbin carrier 46 is also supported from the upper plate 45. v

Means may be provided for neutralising, i.e. nullifying, selections of the wrap instruments as and Where required. Thus, in FIGURE l0 there is shown immediately beyond the bank of selectors 25 preceding the wrapping station W and also immediately beyond the raising cam 32 preceding the wrapping station W a neutralising cam 47 of the withdrawable bolt type, arranged to act on and depress the lower butts 12 of predetermined raised wrap instruments `6 for the purpose of restoring such instruments from the operative height H' to the inoperative height H, before the actuating butts 10 of these instruments enter the cam track 44 of the relevant conandere trol cam system C. Consequently, the front butt '12'of each neutralisedY wrap instrument is pressed down on to' the upper surface of the levelling cani 23so that the freely move downwards. That is to say, the lips 10b lpass down through the cam system C yfrom a height a lower height beneath the same.:

In the case of the seamless hose or half hose machine illustrated, the lower butts. 12 on substantially half'of the wrap instruments are made shorter than those onthe remaining half. Thus, those wrap instruments associated with the instep lgroup ofl needles may have-short lower butts 12 (FIGURE l0 right-hand side) whilst the remaininginstruments associated with the foot vbottom group of needles have long lower butts 12 the neutralising cam 47 preceding each of the wrapping stations W and W being so dimensioned that, when in operation, it will act on the long and miss the short butts. By these means, andthe above to simple expedient of rendering operativeI the neutralisingY `r cams'47 Ya change can -be made from all round embroidery patterning in the foot with out `disturbingthe layout of theV selecting butts 13 and the operation of the is, however, preferred to make provision for varying the l relative positions-of the wrap instruments 6 and the needles 3 laterally so that said instruments can supply threads to diiferent needles. This resultfmay advantageously be achieved by displacing the wrap instruments laterally over one or more of the'needles. Such-displacement is, of course, eected by shogging the cylindrical bed 7 'in which the wrap instruments are mounted. Shogging mechanism functioning to shogv the bed 7 one or more times in one direction or the other ltoan extent equal tov the pitch of the' needles may be of the same general character as that described with reference'to FIGURESv 12-14 of the drawings accompanying theV specification of Patent No. 2,065,469.

As shown in FIGURE l, the upper end ofthe top needle cylinder 2 has rigidly attached thereto abearing plate 5,0 which seats upon the balls of a ball bearingrSl carriedby the conventional top plate 29.- The internal surfaceof the lower portion of the top needle cylinder is some-- what outwardly bevelled or ared at 2a to provide space for accommodation of the lower ends of wrap instruments Swh'enever these are moved radially outwards across the needles in the bottom needle cylinder 1.

Secured byrscrews to the underside of the bearing plate 50 is a concentrical top cylinded gear 52 arranged in mesh with a `pinion 53 keyed to a vertical driving shaft 54 adaptedto be driven from the conventional bottom needle cylinder gear 55. This vertical shaft 54 is the standard :omponent serving to connect the top and bottom cylin- :lers and to drive the same together at the same rotational speed.

The cylindrical wrap instrument bed 7 extends above the top needle cylinder 2 and the latter and the said bed l selectors 25 and pattern unit 26. In these circumstances-4 are so arranged' as. to. provide between-them an annular.,

space 56` designed' to facilitate Withdrawal of wrapj instruments 6 upwardly fromy the machina-,as described inthe specification `of our co-pending applicationy No. v

710,216 tiled January 21, 1958 and now 'U.S.P.' 2,956,425. The rounded fulcrum formation `llof each wrap instrument is of such dimensions as` to bridge this spaceSSV4 That is to s-ay, the front and backedges of such'a rounded or ball-shaped fulcrum formation 11 make Contact with the internal surface of the top needle cylinder 2 and the back of a trick 7a formed in the cylindrical instrument bed Trespectively.

Secured. to the upper, end ofthe cylindrical instrument bed 7 by means of screws, is'agear 57 of the same diameter as the top cylinder gear 52. Below the circular series of spur teeth on the gear S7 is an outwardly' extending and horizontally disposed peripheral tiangev 57a to the underside of which is secured a ring S8 arranged to seat upon a circular series of-balls S9'of a further ball bearing 60-this time housed in a central recessv 6l formed in the upper horizontalplate 45. For driving, and shogging when required, the cylindrical wrap instrument bed 7 there is provided a pinion 62 which is freely mounted on the vertical shaft 54 and is arranged in mesh with the gear S7. The wrap instrument bed pinion 62, which is of the same diameter as the pinion 53 meshing with the top cylinder gear 52, as in association therewith a driving member 63 which is keyed on the vertical shaft 54 but is adapted for axial adjustment automatically and to act between screws 64 on pinion 62 for the purpose of imparting independent turning movement'to the latter as Well as driving it so that the cylindrical wrap instrument bed 7 'is` shogged one or more times in one direotiorror the other to an extent equal to thepitch' of the needles 3.

The shogging mechanism, the details of which do notV aforesaid to which' reference may be made for further.

particulars.

The wale threads, in this example, are supplied to the wrap instruments 6 from a number of bobbins or the like (not shown) supported by the carrier 46' which is arranged co-axially withrespect to the cylindrical wrap instrument bed 7. This carrier 46' is vmounted upon an annular bearing plate 65which seats upon a third circular series of balls 66 of a bearing 67 accommodated in a support D rigid with and projecting upwardly from the upper plate 45; Secured to the 4vunderside of the annular bearing plate 65 is a bobbin carrier gear 68 of thesame diameter as the gears 52v and57, and this bobbin carrier'gear 68 also meshes with a pinion 69 keyed to the vertical'shaft plete component constituted by the nested wale thread guiding cylinders '70, 71, is rigidly connected with the annular bearing plate, 65, thiscomponent being therebyv n adapted to be driven together with, andat the same speed as, the bobbin carrier 46.

The wrap instrument bed gear 57, the bobbin carrier gear `68 and the annular bearing plate 65 to which thel latter is attached are circumferentially apertured or gapped at 73,r 74 and 75 respectively to enable the wrap instruments to be extracted upwardly and loaded therethrough. The' form of these apertures or gaps is depicted in FIG- URES 8 and v9.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision, for use in the improved wrap striping mechanism, of a wrap instrument of the particular form illustrated in FIGURES 75'2 and 3.

When shogging of the cylindrical Wrap instrument bed 7 is to take placein a machine employing systems of'selectiou A and B aforesaid, the method of producing a change gap in the system A by deliberately not selectneedle cylinder, acircular series of individually movable wrap instruments having actuating'butts in said'instrument bed, said instruments consisting of blade-like elev ments each provided with a lower thread guiding extremity extending in an axial direction with respect to the needle cylinders, means for moving said instruments radially to carry threads acrossthe needle circle, means for producing relative movement between the thread guiding ex-V tremities and the adjacent ends of predetermined needles in the bottom needle cylinder to Wrap threads around said needles and produce embroidery plating effects on the face of knitted fabric, a system of control cams for controlling movements of said wrap instruments during the Wrapping of Wale threads around desired needles, and means for displacing said wrap instruments lengthwise from a first thread guiding extremities withdrawn to a second height Y at which the actuating butts on the instruments are acted onby said control cam system.

2. A circular knitting machine comprising, in combinationJ a bottom plain needle cylinder, a superimposed top rib needle cylinder, a circle of double-ended latch needles for operation in said cylinders, said needles being trans` ferable lfrom one cylinder to the other, a cylinderical wrap instrument bed arranged concentrically within said top needle cylinder, a circular series of individually movable Wrap instruments having actuating butts in said instruv height at which they are normally inoperative With their ment bed, said instruments consisting of blade-like elements each provided with a lower thread guiding extremity extending in an axial direction with respect to the needle cylinders, means for moving said instruments radially to carry threads across the needle circle, means for producing relative movement between `the thread guiding extremities and the adjacent ends of predetermined needles in the bottom needle cylinder to wrap threads around said needles and produce embroidery plating effects on the face of knitted fabric, a system of control cams for controlling movements of said wrap instruments duringV the Wrapping of wale threads around desired needles, means for individually displacing selected Wrap instruments lengthwise from a iirst height at which they are normally inoperative, to a second height at which the actuating butts on the selected instruments areacted on by said control cam system so that the thread guiding extremities of selected Wrap instruments only Will be moved radially across the needle circle, and means for moving a succession of needles in the bottom needle cylinder to a common Wrap level so that desired ones of said needles can receive Wale threads from the selected wrap instruments.

3. A circular knitting machine comprising, in combination, a bottom plain needle cylinder, a superimposed top rib needle cylinder, a circle of double-ended latch needles for operation in said cylinders, said needles being transferable from one cylinder to the other, a cylindrical wrap instrument bed arranged concentrically within said top needle cylinder, a circular series of individually movable wrap instruments having actuating butts in said bed, said instruments consisting of blade-like elementseach provided with a lower thread guiding extremity extending in axial direction with respect to the needle cylinders, v

means for moving said instruments radially to carry Wale threads across the needle circle, means for producing relative movement between the thread guiding extremities and the adjacent ends of predetermined needles into the bottom needle cylinder 'to wrap threads around the said needles and .produce embroidery plating effects on the face of knitted fabric, a system of control cams for controlling movements of said wrap instruments during the Wrapping of Wale threads around desired needles, means for displacing/lengthwise all of the wrap instruments of at least one group of successive ones of said insstruments from a first height at which they are normally inoperative to a second height at which the actuating butts on such displaced instruments are acted on by said control cam systern, land means for selectively actuating said needles in the bottom needle cylinder and movingA only selected needles of. a'corresponding group to a Wrap level whereby only these selected needles will receive Wale threads from said wrapjinstruments, the non-selected needles of said group remaining at another level clear of the wrap iny struments.

4. A'circular knitting machine comprising* in corn--V bination, a bottom plain needle cylinder, a superimposed top rib needle cylinder, a circle of double-ended latch needles for 'operation in said cylinders, said needles being transferable from one cylinder to the other, a

cylindrical wrap instrument bed arranged concentrically ments'radially to carry Wale threads across thevneedlecircle, means for producing relative movement between the thread guiding extremities and the adjacent ends of predeterminedv needles in the bottom needle cylinder to wrap threads around said needles and produce embroidery plating effects on the face of knitted fabric, a systemof l control cams for controlling movements of wrap instruv' ments during the wrapping of wale threads around desired needles, means in advance of a needle wrapping station for individually'selecting the wrap instruments and displacing the selected ones lengthwise from a first height at which they are normally inoperative to a second height at which the actuating butts on theselected instruments are acted on by said control cam system so that the thread guiding extremities of selected Wrap instruments only Will be moved` radially to and fro across the needle circle at said wrapping station, means also in advance of saidwrapping station for moving a succession of needles in the bottom needle cylinder to a common wrap level so thatv desired ones of such needles can receive Wale threads from selected wrap instruments, means in advance of-another needle wrapping station for displacing lengthwise all of the wrap instruments of at least one group of successive ones'ofsuch instruments from said first height at which they are inoperative to said second height so that the thread guiding extremities of all of the instruments 'of said group will be moved radially across the needle circle at said last mentioned wrapping station, and means in advance of said last mentioned wrapping station for selectively `actuating needles in the bottom needle cylinder and moving only selected needles of a corresponding Ygroup to the wrap level so that only these needles selected at said lastmentioned wrapping station will receive WaleV threads from wrap instruments.

5. AV circular knittingv machine according to claim 2, wherein the blades of said .wrap instruments are provided 'with fulcrum formations about which the instruments rock when being moved radially back and forth across the needle circle and triangular selecting butts of sawtooth `form disposed at dilferent levels are formed on the `llll'l' Portidnsof the blades'extending between said fulcrum formations and the actuatingbutts, said selecting and displacing means acting on the triangular butts so as to elect the required lengthwise displacement of the selected instruments. Y.

6. A circular knitting machine according to claim 3 wherein the means for displacing said wrap instruments includes a cam of the withdrawable bolt type.

7. A circular knitting machine according to claim l including a horizontal leveling cam for engagement by the lower butts on said wrap instruments to determine the rst height at which they are normally inoperative.

8. A circular knitting machine according to claim 4 including means at a point beyond said wrapping stations for restoring selected wrap instruments to said first height for re-selection.

9. A circular knitting machine comprising, in combination, a bottom plain needle cylinder, a super-imposed top rib needle cylinder, a circle of double-ended latch needles for operation in said cylinders, said needles being transferable from one cylinder to the other, a cylindrical wrap instrument bed Aarranged concentrically within said top needle cylinder, a circular series of individually movable wrap instruments having actuating butts in said bed, said instruments consisting of blade-like elements each provided with a lower thread guiding extremity extending in an axial direction with respect to the needle cylinders, means for moving said instruments radially to carry Wale threads across the needle circle, means for producing relative movement between the thread guiding extremities and the `adiacent ends of predetermined needles in the bottoni needle cylinder to wrap threads around said needles and-produce embroidery plating effects on the face of knitted fabric, opposed inner and outer control cams at a needle wrapping station for controlling the movements of the Wrap instruments during the wrapping of Wale threads around'desired needles, said cams being arranged in a common horizontal plane with a space between them of a-,width suficient to accommodate the actuating butts on the wrap instruments, means at a selecting station preceding the needle wrapping station for raising selected wrap` linstruments from a rst height at which they are normally inoperative to a higher level at which the instrument actuating butts enter saidfspace, and a withdrawable neutralizing cam located beyond the Wrap instrument selecting station preceding the needle wrapping station, said neutralizing cam when projected into its operative position, acting to depress predetermined raised wrap instruments to return said instruments from said higher' level to said iirst height, whereby selection of said wrap instruments is nulliiied. i References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,018,164 Wildt et al. Oct. 22, 1935 2,065,469 Kent Dec. 22, 1936 2,358,640 Holmes Sept. 19, 1944 2,450,376 Holmes Sept. 28, 1948 2,719,416 Saunders Oct. 4. 1955 

